Decaf Coffee Worth Drinking
So, what's the hype behind specialty decaf coffee?
Many of us have found ourselves in the same predicament: with an almost desperate desire for a cup of coffee, and the sad truth of knowing you should avoid caffeine. Whether that is because you are already over-caffeinated for the day, you’re trying to cut down overall, or you’ve received doctor’s orders to cut it out, it’s quite the blow. As humans, we are creatures of habit; without our morning ritual of enjoying a cup of coffee, or the tradition of having a warm pick me up in the afternoon, we notice the gap and search for a way to fill it. Reaching for a cup of decaf coffee in the past might have left you unsatisfied, or you might just be confused about what it is and why it tastes different. We have some of the answers here and hope to paint the product in more of a positive light for you. So, grab your cup of regular or decaffeinated joe, and let us break it down!
What is decaf coffee?
Let’s start with the basics: what is decaf coffee? In short, it’s coffee in which 97% of the caffeine has been removed from the beans in a decaffeination process. With an advanced process, everything else about these coffee beans should stay the same. There are two primary methods of decaffeination, and both happen before the coffee is roasted, when the beans are dried and green in color.
Chemical Decaffeination
Chemical decaffeination uses either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. These chemicals are washed over the beans and bind to caffeine to pull it out (This is NOT how we decaffeinate our coffee!).
Water Process Decaffeination
This method of decaffeination simply uses hot water to pull the caffeine out of the beans. Many customers and coffee industry workers prefer this method as it is chemical free and produces higher quality decaf coffee. (This IS how we decaffeinate our coffee!).
Why does decaf coffee taste weak?
The common complaint about decaffeinated coffee is that it’s not as strong, and there’s an easy explanation for this. When the caffeine is extracted from green coffee, some of the flavor compounds are inadvertently pulled out as byproducts. Both the Swiss water process and chemical process have steps that involve washing the beans in a green coffee extract to impart some of this flavor again, but it’s simply not the same. When you drink decaf coffee, you’ll likely notice less vibrant flavor, and a weak or watered down body.
Our Decaf: Water Process Decaf
The decaffeinated coffee at Lucky Goat is called Water Process Decaf and is one of our signature coffees. This tried-and-true blend is decaffeinated much before it gets to us using the Water Process decaffeination method, making our beloved decaf chemical-free. In comparison to a standard decaf coffee, this one has a pleasant amount of sweetness, and no acidity. While it is a light roast, it’s balanced and chocolatey, and is a solid replacement for days when you can’t consume the extra caffeine.
Flavored Decaf Coffee Options
Online, we have a few additional decaf selections for our customers that prefer a flavored coffee. Decaf Flavored Goat Tracks and Decaf Southern Pecan are always available as a decaffeinated coffee, and our featured flavor in our cafes also makes its way into our decaffeinated lineup during its 8-week highlight.
